Lawsuit aims to protect Pacific Humpback whales from fishing gear ..................... A9
Bridge Club donates to community organizations ....................................... A8
SERVING DEL NORTE COUNTY SINCE 1879 www.triplicate.com
FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2022
Crescent City, CA
COVID cases surge in Del Norte County By Diana Bosetti The Triplicate
An Omicron-fueled surge in positive COVID-19 cases swept through Del Norte County this past week - prompting boards, commissions and sports teams to revert to previous safety measures, and resulting in increased hospitalizations.
On Tuesday morning, Public Health Officer Dr. Aaron Stutz reported that there were 159 active cases, though that number increased by late afternoon when the Del Norte Public Health Authority website reported 182 active cases. Hospitalizations of people with symptoms at Sutter Coast Hospital also increased, from two to five.
However, no new deaths were reported and Stutz said the most recent surge could be a sign that the virus - though more contagious, may be losing its previous virulent status. “The general feeling is that we’ll have a large spike in new cases that will rapidly drop, hopefully, after that spike,” Stutz said, adding that hospitalizations
and case fatalities will rise, but not “near the same rate that we saw with the Delta variant.” On Tuesday morning, Stutz presented the latest update about COVID infections to the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors. He also said cases had increased by up to 300% compared to the week prior, and those infected were almost evenly split
between the non-vaccinated and “break through” cases of vaccinated individuals. “We’re hoping it won’t be enough to overwhelm hospitals,” Stutz said. “But unfortunately, it’s going to cause a lot of missed work and it’s going to cause increased visits to the emergency Please see COVID, Page A8
Del Norte County to count the homeless this month By Diana Bosetti The Triplicate
Contributed photo
The Crescent City Harbor District board discusses a proposal to increase funding to the Del Norte County Visitors Center.
Harbor district tables vote to increase funding to visitor’s center By Diana Bosetti The Triplicate
A request from the Del Norte County Visitor’s Bureau for an additional $4,000 from the Crescent City Harbor District failed to receive enough votes that would have increased its marketing budget to $10,000, and was instead tabled. The 2-2 tie vote, with one commissioner having recused himself due to a financial conflict of interest, followed a report that showed a $100,000 increase in room tax revenue compared to the year prior. Cindy Vosburg, executive director of the visitor’s bureau, said they were seeking an increase in funding to capitalize on gains made in new visitor counts and transient occupancy taxes over the past year. “The more we push out story ideas to travel publications, travel bloggers, etc., the more recognition and media coverage we will receive,” Vosburg said. Lynette Braillard, of Lulish Design, delivered a presentation on behalf of the visitor’s bureau prior to the vote. “The Del Norte County room tax report at the end of quarter four, 2021, was up 413% over the previous quarter,” said Braillard. “It was also up 63% over
quarter four of 2018-2019, which was pre-pandemic.” Braillard added that the visitor’s bureau marketing campaigns also made strides, citing a 157% gain to 217,000 web page views and 69,000 “engagements” - which include comments, likes and shares on social media. “This current fiscal year, we are doing more influencer marketing,” Braillard said, adding that search engine optimization through a partnership with Visit California, as well as a targeted video campaign and software upgrade would also go live this year. According to Vosburg, the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors recently voted to increase its contribution by $30,000, for a total of $114,340, funds of which are allocated as $92,340 to the visitor bureau and $22,000 to run the visitor’s center. Crescent City also contributes $100,000, with $18,000 being used to pay in-kind utilities and rent, $72,000 to the visitor bureau and $11,000 to run the visitor center. “One of the things that I should point out is that we receive a benefit - via the TOT tax - because of Measure C,” said Commissioner Brian Please see VOTING, Page A8
Crescent City to move to virtual meetings By Diana Bosetti The Triplicate
The Crescent City Council passed a resolution that will take council and other city meetings to strictly teleconferencing formats
due to rising COVID numbers, at least for the next 30 days. During a special meeting on Jan. 7, the council voted to take all actions necessary to conduct meetings of all city boards, commissions and committees in accordance with
the Brown Act, and will revisit the resolution after 30 days. The provision expressly applies, but is not limited to the Planning Commission, successor agency of the Crescent City Redevelopment Agency, the housing authority and
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all other standing committees of the city council. The City Council has the authority to vote whether to hold its meetings through the use of teleconference, per California Assembly Bill 3.
The annual Point-In-Time count that identifies how many homeless people are living in Del Norte County will start January 26. “This gives us an idea of how many people are living unsheltered and are temporarily sheltered, which affects funding,” said Roy Jackson, housing services manager for the Department of Health and Human Services. In an effort to draw as many people as possible, a take-out meal and other donations will be available to those who show up at Crescent City Recreation Hall, 1005 H Street, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. According to Jackson, the survey collects basic information and takes about five minutes to complete. Specifically, respondents will be asked where they slept the night prior on January 25. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires communities receiving federal funds from the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants program to count those experiencing homelessness. The electronic records also keep track of people who are living in emergency shelters and transitional housing. The unsheltered count is required every two years, though most communities perform the survey each year. “I’ve been talking with outreach workers, and they feel like the numbers are going to be higher this year,” Jackson said. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness website, those surveyed will also be asked whether they are individually unsheltered, are part of a family unit and whether they or anyone with them are 24 years old or younger. Historically, the latter marker has been difficult to determine because families are reluctant to share that a minor under the age of 18 is with them. Youth living on the streets can also be reluctant to seek out shelters and other community resources. In an effort to reach those who don’t go to the recreation hall January 26, several organizations will canvas the county through Feb. 1 to survey as many people as possible. “This will include going to parks, campgrounds and homeless encampments,” Please see HOMELESS, Page A8
INDEX Crossword................................................A3 Classifieds................................................A5 Crossword Answers..................................A6
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